Two Democrat representatives called out their colleagues for ignoring DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor from Houston, Texas, at President Trump’s joint address before Congress on Tuesday.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) posted to X what a flight attendant told him this week.
“Jim Barrett, a flight attendant, politely chased me down at Chicago Airport. ‘Sir, I am a Democrat but the way the party behaved was embarrassing. Made us look heartless. I don’t care who is up there, you stand for the boy with cancer. Be more rational & get your act together,’” Khanna wrote.
“I replied that a few of us did stand and clap and we must be the party that still believes in kindness, decency, and trying to bring people together,” Khanna added.
I replied that a few of us did stand and clap and we must be the party that still believes in kindness, decency, and trying to bring people together.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) March 6, 2025
DJ was honored by Trump at the address, and was also made an honorary member of the Secret Service, as DJ’s dream is to become a law enforcement officer. He had previously been sworn in to more than 900 police departments across the world.
“DJ, we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all. I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service,” Trump said.
However, while Republicans stood, applauded, and cheered during Trump’s speech regarding DJ, Democrats mostly remained seated.
Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY) also called out her Democrat colleagues in an appearance on News12 Long Island for not standing up for DJ.
“I was deeply moved by DJ Daniels’ story and thank @POTUS for sharing it during last night’s #JointAddress. I was disappointed that more of my colleagues didn’t join me in honoring DJ’s tenacity and courage — his fight rises above the level of petty politics,” Gillen posted to X.
“Quite frankly, there were moments where I feel like anger at some of the actions that have happened over the past month-and-a-half prevented some of my colleagues from being able to stand up to support the little DJ Daniel. I stood up and applauded this little boy, who is getting over cancer, wants to be a police officer — and I was disappointed that I was not joined by any of my colleagues,” Gillen said.
DJ visited the Oval Office the next day with his father, where he and Trump hugged.
I was deeply moved by DJ Daniels’ story and thank @POTUS for sharing it during last night’s #JointAddress. I was disappointed that more of my colleagues didn’t join me in honoring DJ’s tenacity and courage — his fight rises above the level of petty politics. pic.twitter.com/bqn8nOmfvN
— Congresswoman Laura Gillen (@RepLauraGillen) March 5, 2025
President Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress has radical Democrats in panic mode, and their childish protests won't stop all of the winning.
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